__________________"I still haven't worked out why all these people are here, but all I can think is there's a small amount of craziness left in an increasingly sanitised world and they want to be part of it"Russ Malkin 2006

Quick question for yah - Are you truely a huskyfatman? I'm tipping the scales around 235 lbs these days. Although I'm working on that (kindof), I'd be interested in hearing the best way to firm up the forks for bigger fellas. The articles you linked both say the stockers are on the soft side to begin with. Many thanks in advance.

Yeah I'm quite girthy, around 300 lbs. And yes I had to put in heavier springs and valving in all the Huskys I've owned. Here I am about 15 years ago when I "only" weighed like 210. I believe I may have hit a gum wrapper with the stock suspension. (1993 WXE350 with Showas)

haha... I'm already dreaming up ways to add fuel. Most of the current solutions I've seen so far look fine for slab cruising. I don't really like any of the tail mounted aux tanks for off road though. They all look like they would snap off. Maybe I don't want to run that much fuel off road anyway. How many miles can one of these bad boys get off 9 liters anyway? 80 miles or so?

I have seen a few stock tanks for sale on ebay. I wonder if I could bring a raw stocker to someone who specializes in fiberglass or some type of molding that could clone the lower half so the tank fits but give the top some bubble effect to hold more?????

__________________"I still haven't worked out why all these people are here, but all I can think is there's a small amount of craziness left in an increasingly sanitised world and they want to be part of it"Russ Malkin 2006

Test by Miles Davis. Photos by Nigel Paterson(Web Conversion by Glenn Alderton)

Husqvarna is famed for its competition machinery, so it's no surprise to find its big-bore dual sport is very capable in the rough stuff...

IF YOU are looking for adventure and spend a lot of your time off-road the Husqvarna TE 610E is worth throwing a leg over. The TE-E is the Adventure version of Husky's mega enduro winning TE model, with an electric start and some other key features that make it much more suitable for longer distance riding.In this year's Australian Safari the TE 610 E placed first in the M2 class (over 400cc modified production) and took a very healthy third overall, showing exactly what it is capable of in very extreme conditions.There is a lot to be said for the versatility of the adventure touring bikes in Australia with our wideopen spaces and crap roads. Compared to some bikes in its class, the TE-E is light, well suspended and capable in the dirt.

'The power... is
smooth and
balanced for a
big single'

The BikeThis is the second year that Husky imports has offered the big electric start dual sport machine to the Aussie market, but the first time it has been fitted with the long distance 17 litre tank (up from nine). Hans Appelgren, the man behind Husky imports told Cycle Torque, "The change to the larger tank was brought around by dealer request. In the past sales had been lost due to the limited range of the smaller tank".

The brakes and suspension are excellent for a dual purpose machine

Although the TE-E is based closely on the higher performance (kick-start) TE enduro model there are some serious differences that make each bike more suitable for their specific requirements. The motor on the TE-E has tighter tolerances and a much more thorough oil pump/filtration system (two pumps and two filters) for increased longevity and reduced service intervals. The compression ratio is lower, allowing the use of regular unleaded petrol, a must for a machine which will regularly find itself in the sticks. These changes result is a drop in the legendary grunt of the enduro weapon but see it gain smoother power, increased reliability and less frequent servicing. Some upgrades on the new model include improved starting thanks to advancing the auto-decompression mechanism so less compression builds up before ignition, and the gear ratio on the starter has been altered to make the motor spin more quickly.The suspension has also been upgraded. The 45mm forks now have compression and rebound damping adjustment capabilities, and the Sachs rear shock has rebound damping and preload adjustments, giving a much wider range of tuning. Bikes like this can be ridden over an extremely wide range of surfaces and being able to tune the suspension in seconds is a real plus in getting the most out of the machine. A softer seat foam is now used for more comfort whilst in the saddle, but the design was causing some wrinkles in the cover. It didn't seem to be a comfort issue but more of an aesthetic eyesore. Nice standard features are the stylish Acerbis hand-guards, great at keeping that cold winter morning air off your hands and the anti-vibration footpeg rubbers that increase highway comfort, especially in lighter footwear.

The RideThe joys of electric start! On a machine like this there will be times when you don't have the full heavy duty boots on and can't it hurt to kick over a big bike with soft-soled shoes?The bike came supplied with a set of Trelleborg off-road tyres so the on-road test was limited to getting to the dirt. With the standard Metzler interrmediate Karuh tyres the TE-E would have been a much nicer proposition to wander down the south coast somewhere. Hans mentioned that most adventure bikes come standard with rubber rated at somewhere around 70 percent road and 30 percent dirt where the Metzelers are more of a true 50/50 tyre capable of riding more than a basic gravel road. On the road with knobbies the 610 felt quite comfortable at a casual pace. The size and mass of the bike (140kg dry) give a solid feel to the road but not something you would want to ride in the wet or over longer distances.The motor feels quite smooth and balanced for a big single. There is not an over abundance of power as this bike complies fully with ADR specs and felt a bit restricted. There are ways to extract more power, talk to your Husky dealer. The power is smooth and steady and makes the TE-E a real pleasure to cruise around on without feeling like it will get away from you, if you need to get around slower traffic you will have to use all the revs to build speed quickly.Practical rear footpegs and helmet holder are nice touchesThe gears shift positively although the action is not featherlight, the wide ratio gearing allows for healthy highway speeds: cruising at 130kmh the motor isn't even revving. Riding with a pillion is fine for shorter distances but not very practical for longer trips if the pillion is not a jockey; the seat's too small. The rack fitted on the rear guard behind the seat makes for a great grab bar for the pillion but can dig into their back side if they slide back over bumps or under acceleration.With between five to 10 litres of fuel in the tank the TE610E resembles a true off road machine. However, your riding style needs to adjust slightly to compensate for the 140-150kg weight (with fuel/oil etc); for an enduro bike the TE-E is on the heavy side, but for an adventure bike it's lightweight.

Get onto some fast flowing smooth fire trails and the TE-E feels most at home. Especially with a set of hard terrain knobbies, this is where the Husky will leave most other adventure bikes in its wake. The power is smooth, the suspension is soft and supple and the brakes are great. Lofting the front wheel over small obstacles is as easy as leaning back and giving it a squirt, although you might want to use the clutch or downshift if it looks serious.It is definitely worth taking note that with a full tank of juice the bike will handle like a truck in technical terrain, there is just too much weight (fuel) over the front wheel to get through any bumpy terrain at any kind of a pace, especially with the ultra soft stock suspension. For what the TE610E is designed for, its handling is impressive in rougher terrain. I got to put the bike through its paces in some big sand dunes, and with less air in the knobbies, the results were again surprisingly good. The motor puts out great power at the back wheel, the handling was respectable, and two wheel drifting over the harder packed sand felt very controlled even with both feet on the pegs. With all that weight over the front, you could disconnect the front brake; engine braking with a little rear brake gave the most controlled results.

Slides and wheelies are easy on the TE610E compared with most adventure bikes

Even playing a bit of silly buggers gave decent results:

'...suspension is soft and supple and the brakes are great...'

second, third and sometimes fourth gear wheelies were happening from time to time, (as you do). In Husky's traditional yellow white and blue the TE-E looks sharp, and the twin alloy silencers look ominous from behind.The Last WordI can't imagine taking a Honda Dominator or the BMW F 650 through the same terrain as I took the Husky. It is a matter of what you are looking for in a machine, and what the machine is designed to do. For mainly on-road use there are better options but for a fabulous off-road bike that can do more, the Husqvarna TE610E delivers the goods. It fits in the lower middle of the range in terms of price, as adventure style bikes start at around $8500 and go up to around $15,000. Or more, like the Cagiva Gran Canyon at $17,500. The TE-E is $10450 + ORC, making it a lot of bike for the buck.>>Bike SpecsReport courtesy of

__________________"I still haven't worked out why all these people are here, but all I can think is there's a small amount of craziness left in an increasingly sanitised world and they want to be part of it"Russ Malkin 2006

Big-tanked escape machines
are no longer either stuck in first
or stuck to the tar . . .

Warragul may be just an hour out of Melbourne on the Princes Highway, but within minutes of leaving it you can be in amongst some good riding. On this particular morning though, the three of us were in amongst some seriously thick fog. James Barry was leading on a Husky 610, while Mick Shearer and I had a matching pair of the new Husky TE610-Es. The '98 TE-E was Husqvarna's first attempt at a genuine dual purpose big-bore four-stroke. It had many similarities to the lighter and more aggressive units the company usually builds, but then it had some significant differences as well. While the top end of the engine was similar to the race bikes, the bottom end was completely new. There were twin oil pumps circulating a big two litres of slippery stuff, a balance cam, and best off all, a small electric motor behind the barrel that magically took all the work out of starting the beast. Since its release in '98, the TE-E has proven highly reliable. Yes there was the odd niggle like hassles with the starter gear and the fact that the engine wasn't too keen on deep water, but generally the new motor was as reliable as anything out of Japan. It wasn't all good though. Husqvarna had built a dual purpose bike, and unfortunately in Europe this too often spells `cafe racer'. The first TE-E suffered from an image - overfunction problem, with softish suspension which offered little in the way of external adjustments. It was well on the pace when compared with Dominators and the like, but KTM was playing hard-ball with its electric start 640 tourer's suspension set-ups and Husqvarna needed to update if it was to compete in this market. It has. The 2000 model TE-E has been improved in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to clocking up some serious adventure ks. The 9 litre tank has been replaced by a much more practical 17 litre one, and the colours are now based around Husky's racing yellow instead of the older black. Engine- wise the Kokusan ignition has been remapped, the head and cam modified, and the carb settings improved. The frame has been strengthened, there is a new starter motor and starter gears, and a new cam lifter for easier starting. The suspension has been heavily up-graded with the Marzocchi forks getting external compression adjusters and the Sachs shock gaining a rebound adjuster. With all this on offer it was well worth taking the TE-E somewhere interesting to test the improvements, and what better than a gentle trail ride through the High Country with a quiet, laid-back, unhurried pair of blokes like Mick and James?

Setting it Up The run through the fog gave me time to adjust to the bike. The tank is very slim for its size, holding the fuel low and reasonably well forward. You can still slide up onto the filler cap in the turns, but the stock seat could be a bit flatter. Mick had an optional taller seat on his and if you're in the least bit aggressive in your riding, this is the way to go. On the other hand, the stock seat gives a remarkably short reach to the ground and is nicely comfortable for the long haul. Husky Imports had fitted a higher set of bars to the bike making standing very comfortable, but apart from that it was pretty much stock right down to the gearing. While the front brake is a very nice unit with plenty of stopping power and more feel than a 18 year old debutante, out of the crate the rear brake is a doozey. Ours was locking whenever the boot was even waved near it and needed backing off badly. When we pulled into the petrol station at Rawson I lowered the lever to give it a bit more feel before lock-up. A good thing I did too, because from there we took to a muddy single track where maximum control was a big priority. Just a few millimetres difference in the actuation point made a world of difference, controlling the strength of the rear in even the foulest of mud. The engine works beautifully in situations like this. The stock gearing is tall but there is power enough to pull it, coming on from very low in the rev range. Grunt is the word, especially in the slippery stuff where going up a gear slows wheel-spin and delivers impressive drive. Back out on the tar the engine displayed all the characteristics that first impressed us two years ago. There is minimal vibration at any rev and the note from the mufflers is a pleasingly throaty one without being loud. There's a new cam driving the valves and the engine does benefit from it and the new ignition, being a bit perkier in the upper mid-range. Most impressive of all, it is almost impossible to kill it on a hill. "You're going to like the next 500 metres!" said James, pulled up on an innocently flat bit of track that morning. There was no chance to ask why; he was off as soon as he'd spoken. The next turn revealed all - a broken, rutted climb with a pitch as steep as the Opera House roof. Committed, and with Mick on my mufflers looking for spare traction, I had no option but to nail it in second. The engine was awesome. At times the revs dropped to the point where you could count the bangs but it still kept pulling, seeking traction and finding it until roaring back into full song to loft the front over the last few steps near the top. Exhilarating? You betcha!

The TE-E's 17 litre tank and surprising fueleconomy meant we could venture into
interesting country withoutworrying about the next refuel

On the Fiddle The suspension has been improved out of sight, but it's still more dual than race. The action from both ends is good. The damping is well-specced and on the afore-mentioned hill the control it delivered was brilliant. I stiffened the compression dampers but to go hard the Husky needs heavier springs. On the bigger erosion banks it was easy to bottom both ends, but remember that we're talking about a touring bike with a 17 litre fuel tank, pillion pegs and a carry-rack here, not a race bike. Put in the context of equivalent equipment levels, the TE-E is up against the Dominator, XTZ, BMW F650, Pegaso Cube and the like, and in the suspension department it now flogs the lot. Still, heavier springs would make it even better! The forks have seen the biggest improvement. The too-rapid rebound on the old model has gone, and as long as the hits aren't too big it's hard to unsettle the front. This has helped the steering in a big way and means the TE-E can be punted reasonably quickly over rocky trails. The shock is better as well, and the inclusion of external adjusters at both ends means the bike can be fine-tuned with ease.Scrapers The run up the tar to Licola from Burgeons Gap was a hoot, but there seemed to be a slight credibility problem when we pulled up at Ray's store."Clearance is a problem on those corners," I said.
"Wadda ya mean?" asked James.
"Well the bloody pegs scraped on that real tight left-hander."
"Bullshit!"
"Dinkum!"
James's problem was that he'd been copping a bit from Mick and I whenever we'd started the bikes. James would fiddle around kicking, while the TE-Es were already idling, courtesy of their buttons.
"I thought electric start was for pussys," offered Mick at one stage, "but I could get used to this." From Licola we headed straight up to Arbuckle Junction and then past the 1600m high Mt Wellington. The road up was a fairly typical touring dirt one, with the corners deeply corrugated and the long, steady climb bringing an added crispness to the air. Corrugations such as these usually high-light any deficiencies in a touring bike's suspension, but the TE-E handled them well. The altitude could be felt though, and once we hit the snow it was clear that all three bikes were running rich. We'd climbed about 1300m though, and the effect wasn't as great as I'd expected it to be. Snow? Well, it was more like compacted ice so I was thankful for the Husky's stability and its talent of holding a line with ease. Even then there were moments.

Fuel
There comes a time in every ride when someone, usually the lead rider, pulls up and says `I'm not sure if this is the right track'. James made just such an announcement not long after we'd dropped back down clear of the snow. He was concerned about fuel, Mick and I were not. In fact the TE-Es were using so little fuel we'd started grumbling about carrying the stuff when we didn't need it. Mick was getting around 17kpl and I was getting slightly better, so the beasts weren't thirsty, which means that 20kpl would be achievable in flatter, smoother terrain. Let's face it, if Mick can get 17kpl your average bloke should do a lot better ... We were travelling reasonably well through tightish touring conditions and could expect to get close to 300ks to a tank. Backed off on good roads, 350 to 370 shouldn't be out of the question which isn't bad from a stock set-up. As it turned out James was on the right track, but swollen rivers were limiting the short-cuts and in the end we had to head to Dargo to top-up James' TE.

Just the One
"I reckon," said James thoughtfully, studying the map, "That if we go straight up here we'll cut out about 20ks of track." It was getting late and we still had to reach Benambra before dark.
"Aren't the blue lines rivers?"
"There's just the one."
But it was a beauty. Me, I would have turned around and headed back but not Mick and James. The latter went first, surging into the flow then turning to run with it, angling across for the far bank. This was no minor creek. It was a good ten or 12 metres across and flowing faster than the beer at a presentation dinner. James was wrestling all the way, but Mick had an even harder time, bucking the current and tossing a huge roost from the back as the rear tyre spun madly on the rocks. If a national champ enduro rider was having trouble, I was a dead man.
Still, they were on the opposite side and I wasn't. There were no options. I eased into the flow and didn't so much turn with it as was pushed. I bounced a couple of metres over rocks then stalled, the Husky threatening to topple over.
"Hold it!" yelled Mick, somewhat unnecessarily I thought.
The water was rushing over the barrel, so I climbed carefully off and fished for neutral, preparing to push. Just out of curiosity I hit the start button and the bloody thing sprang to life! Click back into gear and after a couple more moments the TE-E and I were safe on the other side.
"I've never seen a bike start in water like that before," admitted a stunned James.
Me neither.

Omeo Falls
The track up the valley wall was fun. The Husky does a wonderful powerslide, its longer wheelbase and broad power combining to produce a feet-up kind of heaven on a fast and winding road. All too soon though we were back in the snow, this deeper and even more slippery than it had been near Wellington. Suddenly I was training for the Olympic rowing squad, paddling like a mad thing just to stay upright. The TE-E was awesome. Time and again the front would just slide away on the wheel rut, plough into the softer snow on the edges and then come back in a shower of white stuff.

Snow, ice, deep rivers,
and even a shallow lake
nothing stopped the new TE-E I began to build confidence and was actually disappointed when the snow thinned as we ran down towards Omeo. On what turned out to be the last snow-covered corner though, I put the brand-new bike down whammo in a flash. Just standing was a hassle on the ice, but eventually I picked it up and checked it over. Hardly a scratch. Most bikes in this class would have sustained major buck damage in a fall like that. Some of them do it just falling off their stands. The Husky though is pretty robust and will take a fall or two and come away unscathed.The Stripper
No good adventure ride is complete without a night in the pub, and while this has absolutely nothing to do with the Husqvarna TE610-E, the story wouldn't be complete without mentioning the stripper. The Benambra footy club had just won the semi-final and the whole town was in the pub to celebrate. Eventually most of the mob moved down to the local hall, leaving us and few of the old fellas propped at the bar. Some bright spark had hired a stripper for the hall that night, and she wandered in to the bar before heading to work at the main party.
By and by she started playing pool and as you do, she ended up leaning over the table. Every time she did her short black skirt rose over her thighs and the old blokes at the bar tilted their heads to one side.
"I don't reckon she's got anything on under there," said one to his mate.
"I'm pretty sure you're right, but I might just keep watching to make sure," his mate replied, dry as you like.Closed Course of Course The lake at Benambra had water in it so we roosted around in that for an hour or so the next morning until the throttles started sticking, then made a line for lunch at Swifts Creek.
"We'll take the tar down to Buchan. I'll just cruise along at 110, okay?" asked James.
Sure. Right. As soon as the road went twisty Mick was around me, past James and disappearing fast. I went after him, James came after me. The TE-E is a joy on winding tar, knobbies and all. We set up a three bike express and achieved speeds that would have turned a hanging judge puce with anger, squirming into the corners under brakes and charging out under full throttle. By Buchan even the side knobs were buffed jet black.Adventure Husqvarna has produced a one hell of an improved model. It has targeted the couple of weak - as far as reliability goes spots in the old model so the new one should be rock reliable. Tony Tervoert rode one to third outright in the Safari a few weeks back and his engine went untouched for the entire distance. It sounded as sweet at the end as it did at the start, and that's not a bad accomplishment for any bike.
Improved too is the suspension, catapulting the bike well ahead of the others in the big-tanked adventure-touring class. Along with this comes much improved steering and even better stability at speed. The six speed gearbox is a feature more manufacturers should offer, allowing the engine to deliver at anything between zero and 170. Flexible is the word here, especially when you can tackle some tight snotty long hill then emerge on the tar and be topping 160 within seconds.
The weight is reasonably low, it's hard to damage, and it now has everything the tourer needs straight out of the crate including a healthy fuel range. At $10,450 it isn't overly expensive either, considering the host of quality standard inclusions. All this makes the TE610-E a far better adventure tourer than it was, and real contender for King of the class.
Forget the cafe, head for the Cape

__________________"I still haven't worked out why all these people are here, but all I can think is there's a small amount of craziness left in an increasingly sanitised world and they want to be part of it"Russ Malkin 2006

The King of the big bore power producers for most of the '90s is dead. Husqvarna's TE610 has gone and in its place is the TE570. An all new model? Well there are two ways of looking at that. Truth be told, the 610 was never a 610, it was always a 576, but in years gone by the rule was that if it wasn't a 600, it wasn't in the running. This concept began to change with the arrival of the WR400, began to crumble with the success of the KTM520 and is about to smashed to dust by the arrival of a crop of extremely quick 250cc fourstrokes. At the end of the year 2000, and just a couple of years since they reigned supreme, 600s have become something of a dinosaur.

It's all about perception. These days 600s are seen as big and heavy, whether they are or not. With modern technology there is no need for excessive cubes, and with 400s pumping out gobs of power and shedding kilos at an astounding rate, the majority of riders in the adventure enduro market are taking a long hard look at what size their next bike sould be. Obviously it was time for the Husky mob to come clean and admit that they'd been cheating by using a mere 570 to beat up on all the muscular big sixes. While most of the others have been making a fuss about finally producing mid-120kg four-stroke powerhouses, Husky has had to make do with what it had, because it had been there all along.

But the 570 has had more than a mere name change. The cases are now black for better corrosion resistance, there's a lighter crankshaft for a snappier throttle response, an all-new clutch, and a new carb with an improved idle regulator. Apparently the previous screw system was prone to bending as it got older, dropping the idle in the process. Turning the idle screw even a small amount made a huge difference, but then because the screw was bent, it would always return to the lowest point, dropping the idle back down again. This caused hours of frustration if the rider didn't know the cause. The new system is a much stronger sliding valve arrangement, plus there's a new anti-friction treatment on the slide. Doesn't sound like much has changed? Don't be fooled: read on. A lot of R&D has gone into the geometry of the new 570. The rake is 2° steeper and the steering head has been moved 5mm forward. In theory this would quicken the steering while retaining the stability of a longish wheelbase, something bike designers strive to achieve. The steering head itself is lighter yet stronger.
Staying with the steering, the triple clamp off-set is now 15mm instead of 25mm, which again would tend to quicken things up. The fork travel is longer as well, boosted back up to 300mm after a couple of years at 285 - we wondered about the wisdom of the reduction at the time.
All in all then the Husky has an all-new steering set-up, and this is one of the first things you notice when you ride it.
The improvements don't end with the steering though. Detail work includes a well-designed shroud on the rear brake master cylinder to stop the right boot from snagging, a new rear brake adjustment cam and new footpeg springs. The fuel tank has easier-to-attach fittings, the shock mount is stronger, and the paint is a good deal tougher on the frame.
While the rear wheel retains the same 320mm of travel it had last year, the shock is changed. It now has a 50mm piston, new valving and a new adjustment system. The linkage ratios have also been revised for a more progressive action and the swingarm bolt is bigger to keep the plot stiff in the frame. While we're on that subject, both axles have gone from 20mm to 25mm, hunting the same stiffness, and the rear hub is now even stronger.
Then of course there's the all-new plastics and graphics with the slim-line 9 litre tank and a seat that's flatter than your litt sister. You can take this or leave it, but the 2001 Huskys loc absolutely stunning in the flesh. A few riders had a whinge about the look of the pre-proddy pictures, but when you see them up front they're something else again. The 570 looks the business in a big way, prompting comments like the old, `It looks like it's flying when it's standing still'. Hey, it's true!

Fast by look, fast by nature, the new TE570 feels like a new bike from the ground-up

The slimlineplastics and seatgive plentyof riderfreedom

The new decomplever and killswitchare welcome detailchanges

Plug andgeneral engine access isexcellent

Admission Sidetrack has never been a huge fan of the 610. Yeah, wi liked it well enough but the TE41 0 was always more the favourite because it felt lighter and quicker to toss around. It came as something of a shock then to ride the 570 200 metres and fall deeply and passionately in love.
There's a certain something about a truly good bike that leaps out and grabs you instantly. A well-sorted feel, the wa everything fits to your body, the response to the slightest movement of the right hand. Few bikes can provide an instant sense of depraved lust for speed and handling; the 570 does.
To explain this it is probably important to point out that despite what seem like detail changes from last year to this the 2001 TE570 feels like a completely new bike. Take the clutch for instance. It's lighter than before, and way lighter than it was just two years ago. Better still, it disengages ver cleanly and we never had a problem finding neutral after pulling to a halt. The take-up is strong and the feel excellen
But the reason for the new over-all feel to the bike has to be the crank. The big, even ponderous sensation of all that mass spinning under the tank has gone. The reduction of inertia has not only allowed the engine to rev quicker, but th gyroscopic effect of the crank has been reduced as well, an while it may sound esoteric you can actually feel it. The engine has a lighter, snappier feel to it and this change of mood has permeated throughout the bike.
Of course some things don't change. The 570 still makes awesome power, delivered in a mind-bending rush. The response is sharper, but the delivery is smoother and there is even less need to use revs to cover ground. The TE grunts its way along tight single-tracks with little need for the clutch or gear lever. Pick a gear and leave it there; the 570 will pull it. Out in the open though you can let the revs not so much build as slam blocks of power one on top of the other until the speedo gives up in despair and you're hard on the brakes for the next turn.
This is the sort stuff the 610 was legendary for and the 570 will not diminish the tough-guy reputation one single bit. The new delivery though is much more user-friendly, especially in the rough where too much throttle can quickly lead to drama. On top of all this the 570 produces less vibration, and in fact with its easy starting it's down-right civilised. The 570 is the sort of bike you go looking for trouble on. The easy line is never the one because the bike is begging to strut its stuff. You go searching for long rocky hills, sharp ledges on slippery trails and berms to nail on some snotty trail way back in the scrub. You can't help but push the suspension because the fact is that it'll take it. The 2001 suspension package is the softest/firmest on any Husky we've ridden. It is wonderfully plush over rock yet incredibly firm in the final reaches of the stroke after the hits have come hard. We'd ridden a different bike in the same spot a month before - and a very good bike at that - and the change in the perception of the riding was amazing. Things we'd been wary of like sharply raised tree roots became a breeze, challenges like steep climbs over rock steps turned to fun, and just to push things a bit a snotty rocky trail we'd previously avoided completely was tackled with ease. Confidence. That's the word. The 570 is extremely surefooted and when the wheels are tracking every inch of the way then the rider can stop worrying and enjoy the trip.
The new linkage ratios have paid off with a progressive action. The wheel keeps strong contact with the ground in the messy stuff enabling the rear tyre to find drive almost anywhere. Going from wet clay to damp rock on steep up-hills hardly produced a side-slip, and with a little momentum the Husky clambered over angled wet tree roots like a true champion. Yet when the bike was tossed into the air it landed with superb grace, feeling as firm as a motocrosser. It also has the happy knack of using all its suspension travel without feeling like a sponge.

The changes have made a huge difference to the feel of the bike. It's snappier, and a whole lot quicker to turn

Through the Bars So we've got a great engine and a brilliant suspension package, but that's nothing when compared to the improvement in the steering. Remember that the rake is steeper, the steering head is pushed forward and the triple clamp offset has been reduced. What have we got? A whole new way for a big bore Husky to go through a turn.
The 570 loves a berm. Slide it in under brakes, feed on the power as the wheels lock into the rut and watch out, she's gunna turn. No 610 has ever gone through a corner like this and it's so good that you have to keep hitting berm after berm to make sure the first couple weren't a fluke.
The Husky's ability to hold a line is exceptional. Even on flat corners the front will bite and drive, and hitting something mid-turn won't upset either end. High speed or low speed, the story's the same and the rider quickly finds he's getting to the end of the trail very much sooner than he did before.
But the quicker steering hasn't produced a trade-off on straight line stability. The 610's rock-solid attitude at speed still lurks in the 570, enabling it to be hammered down rough trails without a qualm in the world. As mentioned previously, the rider goes looking for the hard line on bad hills just to see if the bike will take it. It does, and without drama!
Throughout the test there wasn't a single time that the Husky didn't feel 100% under control, pilot error aside of course.

Brakes No dramas here either with the 570 sporting the usual excellent Brembo set-up. The shroud over the rear master cylinder is a tidy thing and the rear adjustment system does work better than the previous one.

Odds & Sods

We like the new decompression lever which is separate from the clutch, making it easier to reach and use.

Access to the sparkplug is unbelievable in this day and age. All bikes should be like this.

The new killswitch is better than the old system - short story ... A few years back a test 610 managed to fall over. It was picked up, restarted, but then cut out every time the clutch was pulled in. It took a minute or two to work out that the left switch block had rotated and the lever was hitting the killswitch. We like the new, simpler system.

We didn't like having to give it back before the engine had fully loosened up. Husky importer Hans Appelgren has promised us another run once the ks are up - we figure it'll go like a cut snake then.

On the Trailer The 570 offers a whole lot more than a name and graphics change. It feels like a ground-up new bike, and it handles like one too. Interestingly, when Darryl King came out to ride the last Thumper Nats round this year he was keen to ride the production 2001 TC570 instead of the factory bike he had with him. Unfortunately the proddy didn't arrive in time, but it says something when a guy like that wants a production model over a factory special. And the latest news is that Stefan Merriman has just won the Six Days on what was basically a stock standard 2001 TE410. These things are that good.
It's more than a new face, it's a whole new outlook. Give one a try, but have the money ready because once the 570 gets its teeth into a bloke, there is no escape.

__________________"I still haven't worked out why all these people are here, but all I can think is there's a small amount of craziness left in an increasingly sanitised world and they want to be part of it"Russ Malkin 2006

NICE FIND . I actually looked on Ebay AU yesterday but they didnt have anything. I just emailed the guy an offer. It's pretty beat up so I'd definitely need to smooth it out and paint it. Oh well, custom graphics time.

Some of the earlier ones did, but they seemed to do a "cost reduction' somewhere along the way.

Not sure if it is still available, but there was an option kit available.

Pretty sure there is a kit, less the kicker, for sale on a uk ebay site.

__________________"I still haven't worked out why all these people are here, but all I can think is there's a small amount of craziness left in an increasingly sanitised world and they want to be part of it"Russ Malkin 2006

Just got home from a 125 mile cruise home on the new to me Husky!! This thing is FUN in the city.

All in all, great ride. Definitely can handle cruising at 70+ mph no problem. It is VERY smoothe right around 65!

I did get some popping on decel and one stall. This was much less noticable when I refilled with premium octane fuel. Does that mean I need a carb adjustment, or just keep putting premium in cause she likes it? It was also almost impossible to find neutral while at a dead stop, but rolling forward about a half turn it pops right in. Is this a sign of the clutch cables that seem to fail on these?

The biggest suprise is.... I was technically wrong (or the dealer was). The paperwork says she was manufactured in 99 but 1st registered in 00. Luckily, it is one of the early TE610E engines (e-start and kick on the right). It also has the Marzocci forts like the year 2000 pics earlier in the thread with the grey lower fork tubes (not upside down).

Basically, all the hard parts look exactly like the 00-04 TE610E but the plastics look more like the 98-99 TE610. The brake light pops out of the top of the rear fender and there is no rear rack. Also has a smaller or maybe chopped plate holder.

Not sure if this is one of those "dark years" husky's (ie. "one of a kind" ), or if the previous owner made some styling changes. The dealer said he had a supermoto setup on it at some point, so maybe thats the case. I will post some pics tomorrow when I have time. DO I NEED TO UPDATE MY SIGNITURE - the motor is the TE610E and that is what is important!

Either way, so far so good. The Pirellis look about half worn, so I'd like to find some dirt next weekend to kill finish them off in. Anyone near London?

I had to donate all of my tools I had in Cali to my stepfather before the move to London. The bike came with a small kit including a crappy mid-sized phillips/flat head screwdriver, hex head tube wrench (assume its the axel wrench) that the screwdriver fits into for leverage, a lightbulb, rag and a used spark plug. I'm sure MacGyver could fly to the moon with just that, but I'm going to need more to keep an eye on the cam chain, change oil, change tyres etc.

My goal is to build a complete kit that I could carry most of on the bike in a small tail pack. Then, maybe just a few things that are nice to have in a smallish portable tool kit at home in a tackle box or something that fits in back pack. FYI - already asking for a torque wrench from Santa and maybe a Dremmel.

I had to donate all of my tools I had in Cali to my stepfather before the move to London. The bike came with a small kit including a crappy mid-sized phillips/flat head screwdriver, hex head tube wrench (assume its the axel wrench) that the screwdriver fits into for leverage, a lightbulb, rag and a used spark plug. I'm sure MacGyver could fly to the moon with just that, but I'm going to need more to keep an eye on the cam chain, change oil, change tyres etc.

My goal is to build a complete kit that I could carry most of on the bike in a small tail pack. Then, maybe just a few things that are nice to have in a smallish portable tool kit at home in a tackle box or something that fits in back pack. FYI - already asking for a torque wrench from Santa and maybe a Dremmel.

So, what do I need to look for?

The tool kit under the seat is not real good at all

For starters, on mine, the sparkplug tube spanner didn't even fit .
Had to trim some off the end, and grind down the dia to get into the hole in the head.

You will also need a spanner for the front and rear wheel. I bought a cheap ring/open end from an auto shop, and chopped off the open end end to fit into my tool bag.

8mm 10mm 12mm spanners usefull too.

Will need some hex keys to remove rear side plastics.

8mm socket to access air filter.

That will keep you going for a fair bit .

__________________"I still haven't worked out why all these people are here, but all I can think is there's a small amount of craziness left in an increasingly sanitised world and they want to be part of it"Russ Malkin 2006